379 Chapter no.374 Life on the Streets

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[Celadon City - Hotel]

As Austin and his crew of trusty Pokémon – Lucario and Pikachu – stormed into the illustrious confines of the Celadon City Hotel, an abrupt hush fell over them. The onslaught of bullets had come to a chilling halt as a monstrous steel door slid shut behind them with an ominous clang. The sudden silence left Austin unnerved, his senses heightened, attuned to the dreadful tranquility that echoed through the grand lobby.

The faint hum of the hotel's air conditioning was the only sound permeating the eerie silence, an otherwise ordinary detail that now seemed particularly haunting. As they advanced further into the lobby, the hotel's receptionist's eyes darted upward, landing on Austin and his metallic helmet. There was a fleeting expression of surprise in her eyes, replaced almost instantaneously by a forced calm.

"I advise you to hurry to your room, we may believe that this is a terrorist attack," the receptionist said, her voice barely concealing a tremor. She quickly added, "But rest assured, the police have been alerted and the hotel's security measures are in full effect. Your safety, sir, is our utmost priority. Please..."

Austin responded with a curt nod, his steely gaze scanning the room for any sign of a hidden threat. His gaze momentarily shifted to Lucario. The Pokémon had just tossed a chocolate bar into a nearby dustbin, a seemingly casual action that bore a much graver message for Austin.

The receptionist was lying. The hotel was now a cage, and they were its unwitting captives.

"Thank you. I will take your advice and retire to my room," Austin replied in a controlled, steady tone. He turned on his heel, Lucario and Pikachu following suit, their senses razor-sharp, bodies tensed for any impending danger.

The receptionist's voice echoed behind them, "Well, have a good day, sir, and don't worry, your safety is our utmost priority."

As they retreated towards the staircase, Lucario turned to Austin, his eyes grave. "That receptionist is someone else wearing a Ditto as a disguise," he murmured. Austin responded with a slight nod, his gaze discreetly flickering back to the receptionist.

"Oh, and you owe me a box of chocolates," Lucario added nonchalantly, wagging his tail. Austin merely rolled his eyes at the chocolate-addicted Pokémon.

"Lucario, do you have a life?" Austin asked, his tone laced with exasperation.

"Obviously," Lucario retorted.

"Pika?" Pikachu chimed in, puzzled.

"Then remember that life is like a box of chocolates," Austin replied, recalling a familiar quote.

"No, it's not," Lucario rebutted with a dark chuckle.

"Then what is it like?"

"It's like a box filled with misery, despair, obstacles, and death." Lucario's tone was ominously serious.

Austin chuckled dryly at Lucario's grim metaphor, his smile not quite reaching his eyes. "Sure, sure, you gay emo." The gloomy exchange seemed to foreshadow an impending nightmare, the storm before the calm in the eerie hotel lobby.

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The security room of the Celadon City Hotel was a dimly lit space, crammed with flickering screens displaying black and white feeds from the countless surveillance cameras dotted across the building. Several faces, illuminated only by the ghostly glow of the screens, watched the monitors closely. Among them were Tobias, the head of hotel security, Carla, a seasoned security officer, and Walter, a junior recruit. Their attention was riveted to one screen in particular, where Austin and his Pokémon moved like silent specters.

As they observed Austin, a mixture of apprehension and intrigue hung in the stale air of the room. He walked down the barren hallway with a grim determination, the only sound being the echoing thud of his boots against the cold, polished marble. The scene played out on the monitors like a suspenseful thriller, amplified by the stark, high-contrast black and white of the video feed.

"Damn it," muttered Tobias, his grizzled face tensing as he watched Austin pause at a nondescript painting. "He's catching on."

Carla, her eyes narrowed and a single silver strand falling from her tightly-pulled bun, replied, "Do you think he knows about us?"

"Maybe, maybe not. But he's smarter than we gave him credit for. Just watch." Tobias's voice was barely a whisper, just loud enough for Carla and Walter to hear.

Austin's eyes rose to meet the ceiling, narrowing in suspicion. The trio watched him, their breath held, as he took a seat on an antique bench under the painting. Austin glanced around, then quickly and discreetly placed a retracted PokeBall in the corner of the hallway. The gesture was brief, almost invisible to an untrained eye, but to the seasoned security personnel, it was an indication of some concealed plan.

"See?" Tobias murmured, his gaze flickering between Austin on the screen and the uneasy expressions of his colleagues.

Carla let out a heavy sigh, her mind racing with possible countermeasures. "He's crafty, I'll give him that."

As they watched Austin continue his way down the hallway toward his room, a sense of dread crept into the room, sending a chill up Walter's spine. The once seemingly harmless prey was now a potential threat, a predator silently stalking within their concrete jungle, ready to pounce. The silent echo of his footsteps reverberated through the room, a sinister reminder of the dangerous game they were all ensnared in.

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"Delta Squad, mobilize!" Tobias commanded into his radio, his voice thick with urgency. The screens flickered before them, capturing Austin's every move as he trod down the hallway. As the security team scrambled into action, the scene in the room shifted, the sense of unease on the monitors becoming almost tangible.

Austin couldn't help but feel a premonitory shiver run down his spine. Something was distinctly off. The air in the hallway felt heavy, charged with an ominous sense of imminent danger. His mind raced, trying to decipher what could possibly be lurking behind his hotel room door.

Without warning, a colossal fist burst through the door, transforming it into a shower of wooden splinters. Austin's reflexes kicked in instantly. He sprang back, his hand instinctively darting to his belt. Lucario and Pikachu leaped into defensive positions in front of him, their battle-ready stances indicating they were prepared to face whatever threat presented itself.

Their opponent was an Electivire, a formidable Electric-type Pokémon, radiating raw, destructive power. Its threatening demeanor made it abundantly clear that diplomacy was off the table.

Austin's heart pounded in his chest as he took in the sight of his ransacked room. His personal belongings were scattered haphazardly across the floor, signs of a hurried search.

Standing next to Electivire was an elderly man, his wrinkled face contorted into a menacing snarl. "Would you mind coming with me, boy?" he sneered.

Austin's helmet shield flared up, glowing a deep, menacing crimson as he narrowed his eyes at the man – an aged trainer named Argyle. His voice was an icy whisper, controlled but laced with simmering rage. "Where are they?" he demanded, his hand hovering near his belt, ready to release his Pokémon at a moment's notice.

Argyle merely smirked, a cruel gleam in his eyes. In response, Austin's voice hardened, a threatening promise echoing through the chaos. "If you don't tell me what happened here, old man, I swear you'll be sipping soup from a straw in the retirement home by the time I'm through with you." His threat hung in the air, a chilling testament to the brewing storm.

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[ Celadon City ]

The city of Celadon was a maze of streets and alleys that stretched out beneath the moonlit sky. The bright lights of the neon signs illuminated the city, casting a flickering glow on the faces of the passersby. Among the bustling crowds was Erika, clutching a small purse tightly in her hand, her knuckles turning white with the pressure.

As she walked, Erika's thoughts raced through her mind. She found herself stranded in the city with only a hundred dollars to her name. She knew she had to find a place to spend the night, but the thought of sleeping on the streets filled her with dread.

Someone in her class, sleeping on the streets ?!

As she made her way through the city, Erika spotted a sign that read "Comic Book Cafe." The thought of a warm bed and a roof over her head filled her with hope, and she quickened her pace toward the cafe. She pushed open the door, and the sound of bells ringing greeted her ears. The interior of the cafe was dimly lit, and Erika could see several people sleeping on the couches and floors. She approached the counter and spoke to the owner, a gruff man with a bald head and a thick beard.

"How much for a room?" Erika asked, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Three pokedollars for six hours," the owner replied, his voice low and gravelly.

Erika handed over the three dollars, feeling a sense of relief wash over her. She settled down on one of the couches, pulling the blanket over her body. The smell of stale coffee and cigarette smoke filled her nostrils, and she wrinkled her nose in disgust. The couch was worn and uncomfortable, and Erika couldn't help but wonder how many people had slept on it before her. She closed her eyes, hoping to drift off to sleep, but her mind was too restless.

As the night wore on, Erika began to hear strange sounds coming from outside the cafe. The sound of footsteps and muffled voices filled the air, and Erika's heart began to race with fear. She got up from the couch, peering out of the window. The street outside was deserted, but she could see a group of shadowy figures lurking in the shadows. They were whispering to each other, and Erika could hear the sound of bottles clinking together.

She backed away from the window, her heart pounding in her chest. She knew she had to stay alert if she wanted to survive the night. She settled back down on the couch, her eyes darting around the room. She noticed several other people sleeping on the couches, and as the youngest daughter of the Amano family she would feel disgusted in this place but now in their shoes, her heart went out to them.

Was this what living in the real world was like?

As she lay there, lost in thought, Erika's eyelids began to droop. The sound of her breathing filled her ears, and she felt her body relaxing. She drifted off to sleep, her mind finally at peace.

Several hours later, Erika was awoken by the sound of someone shaking her shoulder. She opened her eyes, blinking in the bright light. The cafe owner was standing over her, his face contorted in anger.

"Time's up, miss. You can't stay any longer," he growled.

Erika rubbed her eyes, trying to gather her thoughts. "Two more hours, please," she mumbled, her voice barely above a whisper.

"That'll be a dollar," the owner said gruffly, holding out his hand. Erika nodded, reaching for her purse, but it was nowhere to be found. Panic set in as she frantically searched through her pockets and the surrounding area.

"My purse! It's gone!" she exclaimed, her voice rising in alarm.

The cafe owner's face twisted in suspicion. "What do you mean, gone? Did someone take it?"

Erika shook her head, her mind racing. She had no idea where her purse could be. Had she left it outside? Or had someone taken it while she was sleeping?

The cafe owner scowled, clearly annoyed. "I'm sorry, miss, but you'll have to leave now. I can't have thieves in my establishment."

Erika stumbled to her feet, her heart heavy with despair. She had no money, no place to go, and now no way to get back on her feet. She stumbled out of the cafe, the cold night air biting at her skin.

As the pampered and entitled Erika stepped onto the gritty streets of the city, she finally got a taste of the real world.

It was hell!

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[ Omake Paragraph ]

Although Pineco's life is long by the standards of bug Pokemon, like human life it is finite. Pineco lives most of their lives hanging on or bouncing across trees, growing larger, until they can no longer hold on, drop to the ground, and explode to their deaths. Pineco is remarkable, however, in that they can escape death through evolution, for the mechanized body of a Forretress does not age and can survive many blows, even its explosion, and can only be slain through fire.

Pineco is even more remarkable in that, although many grow powerful enough to have the opportunity to evolve and live forever, they are sharply divided on whether to do so. For Pineco, evolution is an enormous dilemma fraught with indecision. Forretress are a species of great procrastinators, robbed of any urgency in life by the fact of an eternal tomorrow, and they waste away in hedonistic, often vicious pleasures like laying spikes in the forest and making other Pokemon walk across them while they shoot gyro balls at them. Nor does refuse to evolve mean immediate death, and when at death's door, it is often too late for evolution.

Whichever decision a Pineco makes, it is often fraught with regret. The forests where Pineco grows do not burn easily, and many Forretress, unable to simply explode, go on long journeys in search of fire. And although the dead can not voice their regret, the old, weak, and dying often wish for evolution in sheer terror at the thought of their life's end.